Sonoran Seafood.
As I prepared the final version of today’s recipe for Fish Tacos, I had an idea. This brainstorm changed the recipe, which required one extra test to make sure the new and improved (and fabulous ) version of the tacos wasn’t an aberration. It wasn’t. They are fabulous, and I don’t use the “F” word lightly.
For a long time I didn’t know fish and seafood tacos existed, but have loved them since I encountered them. Prior to that, my experience was solely with hard shell tacos filled with ground meat seasoned with “chili powder,” which bears no resemblance to ground chiles.
Then, in Ensenada, Baja, México, I had my first fish tacos. Soft tortillas filled with amazing flavors. Loved them. Later, we moved to the Sonoran Desert and learned that fish and seafood tacos, and seafood in general, are a culinary tradition here because the desert wraps around the Gulf of California, locally known as the Sea of Cortés. We get great shrimp, oysters, and grouper from there, along with traditional regional recipes for them.
I used tilapia for my tacos, and I made sure I purchased sustainably-raised tilapia. (Not all tilapia is sustainable.) While I would love grouper tacos, the $30 price difference makes it an unaffordable choice. The tilapia works beautifully — it is a firm fish, so it doesn’t fall apart, and it is sweet and mild.
As summer comes to an end, I think these tacos are a great way to enjoy the shorter days, and cling a little longer to the passing season. I paired them with a Côtes de Provence rosé called AIX. You can read about that on the Provence WineZine.
~ David
Fish Tacos
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Ingredients
- 3 tilapia fillets, about 1 pound
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ground cumin, as needed
- ground chile powder (mild, medium, or hot), as needed
- shallot or onion powder, as needed
- all purpose flour, as needed
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup Mexican Crema (see note)
- 1 tablespoon puréed chipotle chiles in adobo, or more to taste
- 3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
- 1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro leaves, chopped if desired
- lime wedges
- 12 soft corn tortillas
- neutral oil, for frying
Instructions
- Pat the tilapia fillets dry and cut each fillet in 4 pieces lengthwise, them cut those in half across the middle. Season with salt, pepper, ground cumin, ground chile powder, and shallot powder on both sides; press in seasoning lightly to adhere. Using a very fine-mesh sieve, dust both sides with flour. Set aside on a plate.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, crema, and puréed chipotle chiles. Set aside.
- Prepare the tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges; place each in a separate bowl.
- If using the oven to warm the tortillas, preheat to 300°F. Wrap the tortillas in foil, or place in a terracotta tortilla warmer. Place in the oven. (If using the microwave oven, you won’t need to do anything yet.)
- Heat a skillet large enough to hold all the fish over medium-high heat (closer to high than to medium). When hot, add enough oil to cover the bottom. Add the fish pieces and fry on both sides until golden brown.
- If using a microwave oven to heat the tortillas, wrap the tortillas in a dampened cotton napkin, tea towel, or paper towels and microwave at high for 1 1/2 minutes. Do this while the fish is frying.
- Drain the fish on paper towels. Put 2 or 3 tortillas on each plate. Add some shredded lettuce in a stripe down the middle, top with diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and two pieces of fish. Drizzle with the chipotle crema, then sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges. Alternatively, set out the fish, warm tortillas, and all the condiments in the center of the table and let everyone construct their own tacos.
- Makes 12 tacos, serving 4-6.
- Note: Mexican Crema may not be readily available in your area; substitute heavy cream. I’ve tried sour cream, crème fraîche, and yogurt, none of which was right.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Lisa harper
September 2, 2023 at 5:45 amThis looks fabulous. I will try them this weekend.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 7:42 amI know you and Charlie will enjoy them!
Mimi Rippee
September 2, 2023 at 6:56 amFabulous indeed! I love every part of these tacos. Once I reluctantly ordered salmon tacos and wow! Quite amazing as well. I never thought about your ability to get good seafood where you live. Lucky!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 7:48 amI quickly found that fish and seafood tacos were my favorites. The fish we get is stellar — wish we got more!
Mad Dog
September 2, 2023 at 6:58 amThose tacos look amazing – I will be making them! Beautiful tablecloth too.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 7:49 amThanks, Mad Dog — I hope you like them. The table runner is one of my favorites!
Marcelle
September 2, 2023 at 10:45 amThese fish tacos look perfect, David! We haven’t had fish tacos in a while, but I really do think of them as a yummy summer dish!! We have to try these soon, thanks for this Fabulous recipe!! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 2:31 pmThey really do scream “summer,” don’t they Marcelle? It’s a good reminder for those of us in the Southwest that we still have plenty of hot weather to enjoy these tacos.
Johanna
September 2, 2023 at 12:04 pmSo love your culinary ‘tips and techniques’- sifting the flour- will try that in place of ‘dredging’ where possible. Off to Lee Lee’s for Tilapia, but first should check if sustainable there. Happy Labor Day!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 2:33 pmThat is a great question, Johanna — I’m not sure what their sustainability policies are. Keep me posted! One thing I have found, especially when adding other flavors to the flour, is that the flavors never really get to the fish! Layer by layer gives better flavor!
Eha
September 2, 2023 at 3:55 pmAm happy to have another recipe ‘your style’ Exactly bar the type of fish probably . . . shall get back . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
September 2, 2023 at 4:48 pmI think you will enjoy them!
sherry
September 2, 2023 at 7:34 pmI loooove fish tacos in a soft shell. I tend to use barramundi here or maybe even salmon. Not sure what tilapia is, and we may not have it here but obvs we can use whatever local fish is good. I’ve taken to buying long red chillies, zapping them in the blitzer then freezing it for future use. So handy!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:23 pmI really wish I could try barramundi! I hear so much about it from Down Under. I love your idea of blitzing the chiles – great tip!
Pauline
September 2, 2023 at 7:38 pmFish tacos aren’t a big thing here in Queensland which is strange, but I might have to change that tradition, yours just look so very good David. If I can source the ingredients, I’m sure I can find a fish that suits. When my son visited the United States a few years ago he returned and raved about the fish tacos on the West Coast I think. The older I get, the more I love fish meals. We like to just put all the traditional taco ingredients with mince beef in the middle of the table and everyone makes their own taco. Such a relaxed way to dine.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:22 pmSo many different kinds of fish would work for these, Pauline! Yes, fish tacos are big here and ont the West Coast — not so much anywhere else! Actually, your method of putting all the fixings on the table to let everyone construct their own is how we do it, too everyone is happy! I really hope you start a new tradution in Queensland!
sherry
September 2, 2023 at 7:45 pmI just have to disagree with Pauline a wee bit here 🙂 Fish tacos are very popular here in Brisbane!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:20 pmWell, there is quite a distance between Brisbane and Queensland – and they are inland a bit. And Brisbane is on the ocean, which makes a difference!
I don’t know why but I had completely forgotten – the conductor of the Albany Symphony Orchestra (I was principal bassist) was from Brisbane.
Jeff the Chef
September 3, 2023 at 6:39 amThese are better looking fish tacos than anything I’ve ever made, for sure. They look delicious and easy to make, and the ingredients all seem so fresh. I’d opt for homemade toritillas for these!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:18 pmI just got so good masa harina to make my own corn tortillas. I think they would definitely be perfect for these!
Susan Manfull
September 3, 2023 at 7:52 amAs usual, these little gems look fabulous! And I know the AIX rosé will be a great partner!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:18 pmI hope you get a chance to have them soon! They are so good and the pairing is lovely.
Ronit Penso
September 3, 2023 at 10:41 amLovely feast on the plate, with all these wonderful flavors mingling together. Soft tortillas make so much more sense for such a dish! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 12:17 pmThanks you, Ronit! I never liked hard taco shells and, once I moved to Tucson, I discovered the joy of soft tortillas! They really do work perfectly for thes kinds of tacos!
Christina Conte
September 3, 2023 at 6:01 pmA really good fish taco might be at the top of my Mexican food ranking! Absolutely adore them! Yours look like I would 100% tackle a few of these and enjoy them immensely (sans cilantro, of course)!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 3, 2023 at 10:18 pmHaha! I thought about you with the cilantro! So many other good flavors. Fish tacos are the bomb!
Ron
September 4, 2023 at 11:26 pmWe love fish tacos, although my recipe differs a bit, so having a new twist on a favorite is great.
Eva introduced me to fish tacos during our first visit to San Diego (about 27 years ago). We whipped into a Rubio’s fast food joint and I have to admit I was skeptical, but I soon as we entered and saw the taco on the counter I was hooked. So, that taste inspired me to start making my own. Here, I usually use haddock or cod, but when we lived in the US I almost always used tilapia.
I love your wine pairing. Our summer goto wine is Pierre Chavin, Côtes de Provence Rosé. I’ll have to see if we can get Maison Saint Aix.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 5, 2023 at 12:38 amThank, Ron — you should share your version with me. We all need better tacos, right? One friend is seeking to make (recreate) the best cilantro crema he’s had. That could add nicely to mine!
I’m sure my first fish taco was similar to yours — I had mine but a few miles from San Diego, just over the border. It was eye-opening, wasn’t it?
The Pierre Chavin is a lovely wine and should work beautifully with your tacos!
Velva
September 8, 2023 at 9:45 amFish tacos are a fabulous way to cheer on the end of summer. A good taco, is healthy and very satisfying.
Velva
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 6:52 amVelva — I could eat fish (or shrimp) tacos multiple times a week… but we are trying to be good about our diet, which makes tacos a special occasion meal!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
September 10, 2023 at 5:12 amThis looks fabulous, David! And I especially like the fact that the fish fillets are just lightly floured and pan fried. So many fish tacos are battered and deep fried, which I like on its own but not in a taco. Just the kind of thing that would be a big hit around this house!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:26 amI completely agree with you, Frank! Better fried fish in a taco is such a waste of a taco! Oh, you end up tasting is the coating and not the fish. I hope you all enjoy these!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
September 12, 2023 at 2:31 pmI’m not really a tacos person, but when it happens, I tend to enjoy it with fish. This variation looks and sounds terrific. Well, minus cilantro for me lol.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 7:34 amMinus the cilantro for a lot of people, Ben! But so not necessary. We don’t eat tacos too often either, though with my recipe we have been enjoying them more often.
Valentina
September 12, 2023 at 4:10 pmI had my first fish tacos in Mexico, too. I’ve been hooked ever since, ordering them wherever they look good, and making them from time to time. This version sounds amazing and I think Talapia is a great choice. And such pretty photos. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 7:31 amThabks, Valentina! If you are going to have a “first place” to have a taco — fish or not — México is the place to do it!
Raymund
September 13, 2023 at 4:34 pmYour journey from hard shell tacos to discovering the delicious world of soft fish and seafood tacos in Mexico sounds like a wonderful culinary adventure! And your Fish Tacos sounds like a delightful way to savor the flavors of summer a bit longer.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 5:06 pmSummer keeps going here, Raymund, so I guess I need to make more tacos!
sarchakra
October 3, 2023 at 12:55 pmlove a good fish taco recipe – this looks so good.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2023 at 8:45 amThanks so much! Yes, good tacos are hard to beat!